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The paper examines the meaning of phraseological units (idioms) with a zoonemic com- ponent zmija (snake) and/or guja (adder) which refer to individuals, i.e. their appearance and character. We will approach the study from a linguo-cultural aspect, examining the extent to which the chthonic elements of the snake/adder’s nature participate in the shaping of phraseo- logical meaning. Results show that chthonic components complement the actual facts arising from human knowledge and experience of this animal, and induce a transfer of meaning to the individual, thus making this animal a target of negative collective expression. The domi- nant meanings are those with a negative connotation which communicates human weakness, helplessness, cunning, fury, malice, wickedness, surliness, slyness, dishonesty and insensitiv- ity. The conducted research indicates that folk beliefs about the chthonic nature of the snake/ adder are expressed in a phraseological context, and points to the need to expand the research to other phraseo-semantic fields and other animals that, according to Serbian folk beliefs, belong to the underworld. |
